RX-78-01 Prototype Gundam (The Origin) – MechaBay

The RX-78-01 Prototype Gundam was a prototype close combat mobile suit featured in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. As the first prototype of the RX-78 series, it was painted in a distinctive full yellow colour scheme with grey accents, serving as the foundation for the legendary RX-78-2 Gundam.

The “R” in the model code indicated it was a Federation design, whilst the “X” designated it as an experimental mobile suit. The “78” denoted it was the seventy-eighth experimental project, and the “01” indicated it was the first unit in the series.

History

The RX-78-01 served as a crucial testing platform for technologies that would later be refined in the RX-78-2 Gundam. When Denim and Gene were taking a look at a Guntank being used as a mock target, Ash encountered this new enemy in his Zaku. When the enemy fired its vulcans, they decided to engage it.

All three Zakus kept firing their hyper rifles at the Prototype Gundam, but after the clouds of smoke cleared, they saw that their shots had hit the Prototype Gundam’s shield, which was little more than dented. The mobile suit’s defensive capabilities far exceeded anything the Zeon forces had encountered previously.

Despite its impressive performance, the Prototype Gundam was ultimately destroyed after it shot through a Zaku II’s fusion reactor at close range with its beam rifle, triggering an explosion that engulfed the prototype and sucked it into space. This combat data proved invaluable for the development of subsequent Gundam units.

Design

The RX-78-01 featured the distinctive yellow colouration and four-quadrant stickers that made it resemble a crash test dummy. This colour scheme was intentional, as Federation officers wondered if it was scheduled for training when it first appeared, indicating that tests were still being run on it. The four-quadrant stickers on the mobile suit served the same purpose as those on real-world test dummies—allowing cameras to track movement during testing phases.

Unlike its successor, the RX-78-01 mounted its beam rifle on the left side of the backpack after swapping out one of the beam sabers. This configuration had a moveable base, allowing for flexible positioning during combat operations.

The mobile suit incorporated early versions of technologies that would become standard on later Gundam units, including advanced defensive systems and beam weaponry that gave it a significant advantage over contemporary Zeon mobile suits.

Armaments

The RX-78-01 carried a mix of defensive and offensive weapons that established the basic armament philosophy for the Gundam series.

Vulcan guns

2 x vulcan gun, mounted in head provided point defence capability. Though not powerful individually, their high rate of fire made them effective for intercepting incoming missiles and served as a distraction when fighting other mobile suits at close range.

Beam saber

1 x beam saber served as the primary melee weapon. The blade-shaped beam could instantaneously cut through mobile suit armor, giving the Gundam a decisive advantage in close combat situations.

Shoulder cannon

1 x shoulder cannon, mounted on left side of backpack provided additional firepower. This medium-range, solid shell firearm had a magazine mounted in the rear and was set on a moveable base for flexible targeting.

Beam rifle

1 x beam rifle served as the primary ranged weapon. This revolutionary weapon system provided the Gundam with firepower equivalent to a battleship’s main guns, marking the first successful implementation of portable beam weaponry on a mobile suit.

Shield

1 x shield provided exceptional defensive capability. The shield’s multi-layer structure made of multiple materials gave it extremely high defensive capabilities, as demonstrated when it easily withstood concentrated fire from multiple Zaku units with minimal damage.

Known pilots

Werz

Behind the scenes

Original mechanical designer: Kunio Okawara

The Prototype Gundam’s yellow colouration and four-quadrant stickers make it resemble a crash test dummy. Fittingly, when it first appeared in the manga, Federation officers wondered if it was scheduled for training, indicating that tests were still being run on it, just like real-world test dummies. The four-quadrant stickers on dummies are meant for cameras to track movement.

RX-78-01 Prototype Gundam